Croatia closes three more accession chapters

Croatia has edged closer to membership of the European Union following the provisional closure of negotiating chapters in three policy areas today.

Policy chapters on justice, freedom and security, on the environment, and on security and defence were concluded, bringing the total number to 28 out of 35.

It means Croatia is moving towards reaching its goal of finishing membership talks with the EU by next summer.

Today’s developments came at an intergovernmental conference held in Brussels and headed by Steven Vanackere, Belgium’s foreign minister. The Croatian delegation was led by Gordan Jandroković, the Balkan country’s minister of foreign affairs and European integration.

In a statement Jandroković said he particularly welcomed the closure of the chapter relating to the environment because it is “legally, administratively and financially one of the most demanding chapters.”

He added: “The year 2010, as far as accession negotiations are concerned, was a particularly successful one.”

Croatia hopes the talks will be over before the end of the Hungarian presidency of the Council of Ministers in June 2011. That would allow it to sign its treaty of accession next autumn, and to join the EU in the second half of 2012, it calculates. Croatians would give their opinion on membership in a popular referendum immediately after the signing of the accession treaty.